electric furnace



- W. LOHREY.

ELECTRIC FURNACE. APPLICATION FILED MY21.192|.

Patented Nov. 8, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

A M :D E 2/ 2 '2/ 43 Y 4/ l 3 J5 1/ W3 u n L1 u i 75:55h. [E

INVEN'TQ A TTORNE Y.

w. LOHREY. ELEcrmc rumvAcE. APPLICATIDN FiLED MAY 2l. |921- Pawma Nv. s,'1921.

I N VENTOR.

A TTORNE Y.

Bloomfield, cou" D, NEW JERSEY, Az'?) Tt) MAG-N. METAL COR- 1, hl. Y.,A.l GDRPOBATIN F NEW JERSEY .e mi@ IF'IRNACE.

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To @ZZ einem t? may Vrames/.fn:

I signed primarilyT 'for the alloying oi metals.

In alloying magnesium and certain other metals, special precautions mustbe taken to prevent oxidation and.lnirnintra of the metal. is to this-teature my invention is particularly directed. ene of the principalobjects of the ion being to protect the metal both in the subsequentailoyii destructive eiiects 1 a df-. rite and metals which are to beall-o; admixture and metals. y

These chieste l' have attained by means cf a furnace ci construction,one example of a panying di gs. l Wish it' understood, however, that thefurnace shown is primarily of an illustrative character and that.,therefore, the structure may be modiiied in various respect vit-houtdeparture frein the true spirit and scope or" the invention ashereinafterl defined and laimed :Figure l in referred to is a. verticalsectie f e the furnace.r on substantially 'the plane oi line 1-1 of Fig.2.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view as taken on substantially theplane c line 2N2 oi Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation., and

Fig. l is a tcp plan view of furnace structure. l

Fig. 5 is a. vertical sectional view taken on transverse plane onsubstantially the line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a brolren rear view-ofthe coverlifting mechanism showing pe.ticularly 'the method et conmerhalancim;P t sarna.

The particular furnace shown is designed for the allovingf or" tivometals such as eine and aluminiimiv. th ak third l lnetal such asmagnesium.

lcoivn i: crucibles Y Specification orLetters Patent.

resented Nev. s, 1921.

. iiicl Hay 21, i921. Y Serial No. 471,368.

zinc and aluminum, arranged at opposite sides of the magnesium-meltingand alloy- Inixing Crucible 12. l

The main crucible is supported in acharnber 13 and is heated byelectrical heating units 14 applied to or forming the walls of lsuchchamber and similarly, ,the smaller crucibles and 11 are mounted inchambers 15I and 16 containing electrical heating units 17.

The smaller crucibles 10 and 11 are Supported at higher levels than themain crucible and are connected with the main crucible by suitablepiping 18 controlled by valves 19. These valves have handles 2O providedat the tops of the crucibles so as to be Within reach for easy operationwhen the cover of the furnace is removed.

The furnace cover is of special construc- ,tion in that it may be liftedeither bodily to uncover the entire furnace top, or it may be operatedin sections to uncover only the desired crucible chambers.

F or lifting the cover as a unit, I have shown links 21 each connectedwith the body voi? the cover at one end at 22 and centrallyV connected'at 28 with the end of a forwardly arched slide 24 guided in brackets 25on the back of the-furnace structure and counterbalanced by a Weight 26having a chain or cable connection 2T running over a sheave 2S andconnected with the slide at 29.v With this construction it is possibleto effect the raising and lowering of theentire 'covefwith comparativeease and when thev cover is raised. it will be apparent that full accessis to be had to all .three ofthe Crucible chambers. A

Access to the individual Crucible .chambers is had by Way of openingsprovided in the cover over the respective chambers and normally closedby the removable cover sections 30, 31 and 82, these cover sections orslabs having suitable handles 33.

The spaces beneath the smaller Crucible chambers 15 and 16 are utilizedin the present disclosure to provide annealing or coredrying chambersrlhe metals may be mixed in the main Crucible mechanieallyA` as by meansof a propeller or other mixing device 35 carried by shaft 36 having; abearing at 3T on the top of the Crucible and prcvided at its upper endwith a coupling element 38 detachably engaged by a correspondingcoupllng element 39 on the loyver end of a shaft section l0 journaled inthe Cover. This upper shaft section is shown provided with a bevel gear4l in mesh ivith a bevel pinion -lQ on the horizontal shaft lxivhich issuitably journaled on the Covei and provided with 'a hand -vvheel orother operating member -l-l.

After the admixtuie of metals'is effected, the product is dischargedfrom the main Crucible as by yvay of a discharge spout '-15 extendingfrom the bottom of this Crucible and controlled by a valve indicatedgenerally 4at 46 in Fig. Q.

To hold back the Slag and impurities during the pouring operation. Ihave shown the main Crucible as having a partition yvall -lT extendingdoyvnvvard from the top thereof ing point. such as copper. highertemperato. near the bottom. The forward half ofv -tures and possiblylonger melting periods would be' necessary, but in each instance, theheat in the several chambers yvould preferably beV governed to bring all'the metals to the proper -alloying temperatures and conditions atappioxiniately the same time. .Thus in the example given, when theinagnesium. aluminum and Zinc are in proper molten Condition and at theright temperature for alloyinfr. Jthe valves 19 are manipulated toadmitthe subsidiary metals to the base metal and .he stirrer may he operatedto effect a complete combination -of the metals. l l

As the air is excluded during these operations. oxidation is reduced toa minimum,

so that loss of metal by oxidation and the y formation of slag istherefore reduced to a minimum.

Also. vvliat slag is formedl is skimmetV' or heldback by the partitionvv ll 4T in the main Crucible. The several crucibles arevreadily chargedthroryh the charging openings provided in the cover andif itv becomesnecessary to remove or -iepair the Crucibles. this Can be easilyaccomplished vvhen the cover is lifted as at Suchl times the chambersare/Wholly exposed and also, it will be noted, that in this coverliftingoperation. the mixing shaft vvill be automatically uncoupled.

What I claim is:

1. A .furnace of the character set forth having separate independentlyControlled .heating chambers,v a mixing Crucible and alloy metalcruoibles in said chambers and vconnections for enabling flovv of metalfrom Valloy metal crucibles in said chambers and Connections forenabling {iovv ofmetal from said alloy metal crucibles to the mixingcrucible. a substantiallyv airtight removable cover over said chambers.said cover having charging openings therein over the respecti` ecrucibles and independently removable, Closures for said chargingopenings.

3. A furnace of the character set fort-h having separate independentlycontrolled heating Chambers. a mixing Crucible and alloy metal Ciuciblesin said chambers and connectionsfor enabling flo of metal from saidalloy metal crucibles tothe mixing crucible. a substantially airtightremovable cover over said chambers. said cove'r having charging openingstherein over the respective crucibles. independently removable closuresfor said charging openings, a Astirrer in the mixing Crucible anddriving means on vthe Cover haviig a connection ivitli the stirrer.

et. A furnace of the character set forth having separate independentlycontrolled heating' chambers` a mixing Crucible and alloyv metalcrucibles in said Chambers and Connections for enabling fiovv of'metalfrom said alloy metal crucibles to the mixing Crucible. a substantiallyairtight removable cover over said chambers. said Cover having chargingopenings therein -over the respective crucibles, independently removableClosuresl for said Charging openings a stirrer in the mixing Ciucibleand driving means on the cover having a Connection with the stirrer.said mixing Crucible having an outlet spout and provided with apartition yvall extending dovvn to near the bottomof the Crucible forholding back the slag.

5. A furnace of the character set forth having a main heating Chamberand auxiliary heating chambers at different sides of the same. a mixingCrucible in said main chamber and alloy nieta] Crucibles in the sidechambers. flow connections from the lastmentioned crucibles to themixing Crucible, means for independently Controlling flow from themelting crucibles to the mixing Crucible. means for effecting analloying of the metals ,in the mixing Crucible and means for dischargingthe alloyed metal from the mixing Crucible.

6. A furnace of the character set forth .having a main heating chamberand auxiliary heating Chambersl at differentl sides of the same, amixing Crucible in said main chamber and alloy metal crucibles in theside chambers, flow Connections from the last-mentioned crucibles to themixing., cru; fcible, meansv for. independently 'controlling flow fromthe meltingcrucibles to the' mixing crucible, means'for effecting analloying of the metals in 'the mixing Crucible ardl means 'for'discharging the alloyed metal from themixing cruciblea themelting-crucibles standinor at higher levels 'than themixingfc'ruciblejand the furnace rstruct-,ure havingannealing andcore-drying. chambers jbeneath said melting crucibles. l

7. In a furnace of the character set forth,-

af furnace body having separa e chambers and independently controlledVheating means the-refor, connected crucibles insaidchambers, a coverover the top of the furnace chambers having openings 1n hue-with thecrucibles,y independently movable closures 'for said openings,"v a slideat the back of the furnace structure guided for vertical lInove- .ment,connections'from said slide to the fury nace'cover and means lforcounterbalancing '.s'aid xslide 'and the cover connected thereto.

.contents .into said alloying Crucible, means for controlling saidconnections, a controllable discharge for the alloying crucible andcontrollable'heating means for the vseveral crucibles. v l,

. 9. In a. metal alloying furnace, alloy metal crucibles connected toindependently discharge their contents into an alloying cru. cible,means for independently7 heating the contents-of the several cruciblesto the -required alloying temperatures and means for maintaining saidcrucibles and their connections insubstantially air-excluding relation vduring alloying operations.

y l0. 'In a metal alloying-'furnace, a mixing Crucible having `apartition wall 'extending down toward the bottom 'o'f the Crucible, saidlcru'cible having a discharge outlet at one side of said partition walland alloy metal crucibles connected to discharge into the mixingCrucible at the opposite. side of said partition Wall. y y

1n witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 7th day of May,1921.'y

WALTER nomini.

